in the gallery

Once again, visionary American folk artist Leon Kennedy;  this time, at Uptown Gallery.

be nice or leave

A short documentary about "Dr. Bob" Schaffer, a New Orleans folk artist whose work is well known and displayed throughout the city.  Dr. Bob has been featured in many newspapers and magazines including the Smithsonian, the Times-Picayune, and Big City Rhythm and Blues-- and purchased by notables like Emmy Lou Harris and Mariah Carey.  Dr. Bob works in a 6,000 square foot Chartres Street warehouse often visited by other artists -- and where you can peruse a rich collection of signs, paintings, assemblages, found objects, and now charmed witticisms (like his familiar, "Be nice or leave.")

associations

Paul Klee's puppets associated to Henry Darger.  In the early 1920's, he made 50 for his son Felix, 30 of which have survived.  Ptak also comments,
  
The puppets are intimate, made for his son for play, and are composed of bristle and bone and nutshells and electrical outlets and bits of gingham and cloth and wire and buttons.  Stuff from the junk drawn or whatnot box.  Klee did construct more elaborate puppets for his connection with the theatre, and of course was also a sculptor.  But I do like these little puppets, much in the same way as I enjoy the small toys made by Alexander Calder for his kids.

Charming Calder toy and circus photos here at Mochimochi Land who writes:  

When living in Paris in the 1920s, Calder created a cast of human and animal figures made of wire and scraps of other simple materials. Each of these toys could perform a trick of motion when manipulated by hand: a lion tamer snapped a whip, a dog walked around on its hind legs. Calder held entire mini circus performances in which he would get down on the floor and manipulate his modernist toys for audiences adults and children. (Back in New York, fans could book Calder’s circus through the Junior League at Saks Fifth Avenue.)

Via Mochi, the Whitney has this youtube of Calder performing his circus, though noting that seeing it in person during the 1920's must have been a vastly different experience:

*Photo credit/top, Ptak Science Books/3 of Paul Klee's surviving puppets/second, Mochimochi Land, an Alexander Calder circus toy.

in the gallery

Outsider visionary folk artist Leon Kennedy discusses his work, Without A Vision, The People Perish.

great and mighty things

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is running an outsider art exhibit, Great and Mighty Things, through June 9th.  It includes 200 pieces collected over the last 30 years by long-time Philadelphians Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz.  The show's title comes from one of several selections by the late artist Reverend Howard Finster who combined religious text and imagery (in this case, from Jeremiah 33:3, "Come with me and I will show you great and mighty things").  More here in a review by Sarah Burford with Title Magazine.  Below, a tour by Curator Ann Percy and Curatorial Assistant Cara Zimmerman.

outsider art

Baltimore is getting hot.  Including an inspiring museum collection devoted entirely to outsider art - The American Visionary Art Museum.

I want to go to Baltimore right now and visit the museum, eat a tower of shellfish at L.P. Steamers, chow down for breakfast with the locals.